Brake



L. E. LA BRIE Nov. 7, 1933.

BRAKE Original Filed June 20 1927 INVENTOR. A0055? 5 LA BP/E BY f mATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES BRAKE Ludger E. La Brie, South Bend,Ind., assignor to Bendix Brake Company, South Bend, Ind., a

corporation of Illinois Original application June 20, 1927,. Serial No.199,988. Divided and this application March 7, 1931. Serial No. 520,812

8 Claims. (01. 188--79.5)

This invention relates to brake operating le-r vers and is illustratedas embodied in an internal expanding brake for motor vehicles.

The present invention-is a division of my pending application, filedJune 20, 1927, Serial An object of the invention is to provide a simpleand inexpensive and yet-an efiicient operating lever for applying thebrake.

9 An important feature of novelty relates to a simplified adjustingdevice for an arm on the cam shaft, although the novelty of thisadjustment is not limited to its use on the cam shaft of a brake.Preferably there are threemembers 5 arranged side by side on a shaft,the outside members being fixed on the shaft and the center member beingangularly movable and formed with teeth meshing with an adjusting membersupported by the outside members.

The outside members are arranged to have wedging engagement with theadjusting member and to be clamped against it under considerable tensionby a nut threaded on the end of the shaft and tightened after theadjustment is made, thus proi'riding a strong joint.

Other objects and features of the invention, including various desirabledetails of structure, will be apparent from the following description ofthe illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the brake just inside the head ofthe brake drum illustrating the brake shoes in side elevation andshowing the invention as applied;

Figure 2 is a section substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; D

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the operating lever; and

Figure 4 is an elevation showing the adjusting means.

Referring to the drawing for more specific details of the invention,represents a rotatable drum, at the open side of which is arranged asuitable stationary support such as a backing plate 12 and within whichis arranged the friction means of the brake comprising a primary shoe14, a secondary shoe 16, and an auxiliary shoe 18.

The primary shoe 14 is positioned on a steady rest carried by thebacking plate. The shoes 14 and 18 are urged inwardly away from the drumtoward idle position by a return spring 22 connecting them, and the shoe16 is urged away from the drum toward idle position by an auxiliaryreturn spring 24 connecting the shoe 14 to the backing plate, and actingon the shoe 16 through a pivot 26 connecting the shoes 14 and 16.

Shoe 16 is anchored at its end on a fixed pivot 28 carried by thebacking plate 12 and passing through a relatively large opening 30 inthe web of shoe 18, and theshoe 18 is anchored on a fixed pivot 32 alsocarried by the backing plate 12 and passing through a relatively largeopening in the web of shoe 16. The anchors 28 and 32 may, if desired, beconnected by a reinforcing plate 34.

The idle position of the secondary shoe 16 is preferably determinedautomatically by an adjustable stop 36 including a steady rest 38carried by the backing plate 12 and passing through a relatively largeopening 40 in the web of the shoe 16, so that it does not interfere withthe movement of the shoe.

The brake is arranged to be applied against the resistance of springs 22and 24 by a suitable applying means, preferably including a pair ofapplying devices such as cams 42, which may be flat'steel stampingshaving the desired outline, and which engage opposite sides of the endsof the shoes 14 and 18, or their equivalents to prevent lateral movementof the shoes without the provision of any special means such as steadyrests. The cams are in operative engagement with thrust devices such asrollers 44 pivotally 35 mounted on opposite sides of the shoes or theirequivalents.

Preferably the cams 42, or their equivalents, are operatively connectedby a pivot 46 to an arm 48 between the cams and which may be integralwith a cam shaft 50 journaled in a bearing on the backing plate 12.

The end of the shaft 50 is provided with a flattened portion 42 uponwhich are positioned for axial movement two outside members 54interengaging with the flat portion on the shaft, so that they cannotturn angularly on the shaft, and between the outside members 54 is acenter member or brake-applying arm 56 angularly movable on the shaft.The member 56 is formed at its upper edge with a segmental portionhaving teeth58 meshing with a worm 60 supported by registering grooves62 and 64 formed in the ends of the members 54. These grooves are soformed that they provide a wedging action on the worm 60 pulling itfirmly down against the teeth 58 when a nut 66 threaded on the end ofthe shaft is tightened up to compress the members 54 against oppositesides of the arm 56. The worm 60 is provided with integral heads 1 68 onits opposite ends for engagement with the sides of the members 54 toprevent endwise movement of the worm, and one of the heads is providedwith a diametral slot 70 for the reception of an adjusting tool.

While one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described indetail, it is not my intention to limit its scope to that particularembodiment or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

Having thus described the various features of the invention, what Iclaim as new and desir to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Brake-applying means comprising a shaft having a flattened portion,an operating arm loosely sleeved on the flattened portion and providedwith a toothed segment, an adjusting member meshing with the teeth, anda pair of members inter-engaging the flattened portion of the shaft onopposite sides of the arm and having registering grooves providing abearing for the adjusting member.

2. Operating means for a shaft comprising three members mounted on theshaft side by side, the two outside members being fixed against rotationon the shaft and the center member being rotatable on the shaft andprovided with a toothed segment together with an adjusting devicemeshing with the teeth and engaging the outside members.

3. Adjustable mechanism for a shaft having a non-circular portion,comprising two clamping members mounted on the non-circular portion torotate with the shaft, at least one of the members having limited axialmovement toward and away from the other member, an intermediatetorque-applying member loosely mounted on said non-circular portion ofthe shaft between the two clamping members and capable of rotatableadjustment about the shaft, and means carried by and interposed betweensaid two clamping members coupled with the torque-applying member tohold it at adjusted positions upon the shaft.

4. Adjustable mechanism for a shaft comprising a pair of members mountedon the shaft to rotate therewith but at least one of which is axiallymovable thereon, a third member adjustably rotatable upon the shaftbetween said pair of members, and a part positioned between said pair ofmembers coupled with the third member and operable to adjustablyposition the same about the shaft.

5. Adjustable mechanism for a shaft comprising a pair of clampingmembers mounted thereon to rotate therewith but movable thereover towardand away from each other, means operable to hold said members together,a torque-applying member rotatably .supported on the shaft between theclamping members, and a part rotatably supported between the clampingmembers and coupled with the torque-applying member to rotatablyposition the torque-applying member on the shaft.

6. Adjustable mechanism for a shaft comprising a torque arm looselyrotatably supported on the shaft, a pair of clamping members fixed onthe shaft against rotation upon opposite sides of the arm, adjustablemeans operable to hold said clamping members toward said arm, and arotatable screw supported between said clamping members and coupled withthe arm to rotatably adjust the same about the shaft.

7. Operating means for a shaft comprising three members mounted on theshaft side by side, the two outside members being fixed against rotationon the shaft and the center member being rotatable on the shaft, and apart carried by said outside members engaging said center member toadjustably and rotatably position 110 the same about the shaft.

8. Operating means for a shaft comprising a plurality of members mountedon the shaft side by side, one being fixed against rotation on theshaft, and another being rotatable on the shaft, and one of said membersbeing provided with a toothed segment, and an adjust-ing device meshingwith the teeth of the segment and engaging the other member.

LUDGER E. LA BRIE. 120

